


Change

by laurenmin



Category: GOT7, JJ Project
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-18
Updated: 2019-01-30
Packaged: 2019-09-22 06:01:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,593
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17054501
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/laurenmin/pseuds/laurenmin
Summary: You never knew stepping out of your comfort zone would make such a huge change to your life. Question is, you are not too sure if it was a change for the better or the worse especially when two particular people stepped into your what used to be simple life.





	1. ONE

**Author's Note:**

> Hi!! This is a JJPxOC fic that I've been working on and my first time posting my stories here on AO3, and I hope that you will enjoy reading it! 
> 
> OC/You/Reader: Park Yoonjung  
> Italics are mostly for the characters' thoughts, and other times for emphasis. 
> 
> Thank you!

You could feel the floor vibrating underneath your feet as you entered the night club, your eyes adapting to the darkness that enveloped you. It did not even take a second for you to realize that you are not going to like the upcoming experience even the slightest.

And your suspicions were confirmed when the blaring music started to make you feel slightly unwell, along with the bright neon laser beams you spot shining on the dance floor, and literally everywhere else. You have never been in here for the past three years since you have tuned legal, so why now?

You only had yourself to blame, for not being able to leave your heartbroken best friend alone, especially when she was wrecking things in her home and threatening to set her ex's house on fire. It was too costly, for her to change every single furniture, or for you to bail her out.

Only wanting her to feel better, and having tried enticing her with her favorite snacks and tickets to the latest box office hit but to no avail, you went for the last resort - suggesting to spend the night at her favorite club. The way she immediately sprang up from her tissue-covered sheets with a bright smile on her face told you that it was a good suggestion, especially when Eunjin has been trying to drag you to the club for years without success. Little did you know, this one visit to the club that you have been planning to postpone indefinitely was about to disrupt the quiet life which you have been living.

 

 

'I can't find a guy with you leeching on me. Come on,  _breathe, relax,_ and find a cute guy to hang out with.' Eunjin chirped, her mood starkly different from that of hours ago - when her face was drowned in soiled make-up and tears, her hair comparable to a bird's nest, and in her pajamas from days ago. 

'Me? In  _here?_ ' You asked, not loosening your grip on her arm for even the slightest. Your facial expression probably seem as though you have just entered a haunted house. You could not tell which was worse, since you never managed to get your guts up to actually enter either. But it was true, this was definitely miles out of your comfort zone, seeing how you were more towards the conservative side, and not to forget, you scored full marks on the introvert scale during the MBTI test. Meanwhile, your dearest best friend, Eunjin, was the exact opposite. 

'Where else? There's plenty of guys here.'

_This is why you always end up bawling away after every few months._ But you kept that to yourself. 'You want my boyfriend to be someone from here? No way.' 

'You and your boyfriend fantasies. Oh gosh.' 

'It's not fantasies. It's just being alert.' You whispered as you could already feel eyes on you, more like eyes on Eunjin, seeing what she was wearing. A blue satin dress that stopped mid-thigh, her long brown hair curled in slight waves, accentuating her facial features, her matching wedges that placed emphasis on her long legs. Many times you found yourself admiring her looks, and of course it would be the same for the opposite gender. Perhaps even more. 

'You might as well be single for your entire life.'

'I don't see what's wrong with that either.' 

'Someone remind me why I'm friends with you again? Anyway. Get yourself a guy, for once. Anyone will do.' She paused, all ready to dive into the dance floor, before she turned back to you. 'Just not Im Jaebum and friends.' 

'You've got your eyes on someone already?'

'No.' The look of disgust on her face could not be missed as she frowned at ~~you~~ your ignorance. 'No matter how many I get. Not them. They are total jerks.'

'Trust me. A girl like you- You wouldn't want your life to be ruined by them. Not now, not ever.'

_I didn't know there were 'classes' in this place. Scratch that. I don't know a single thing about this place._

'Especially Im Jaebum.' Eunjin emphasized again as she looked closely at you, making sure that she got her point across loud and clear.

'Okay I'll keep your wise words in mind. No Im Jaebum.'

'And friends.' 

' _And friends.'_ You repeated, like a kid. And then, you were left alone to fend yourself in this unknown world of loud music and glaring lights. 

 

 

Jaebum groaned as he finally managed  to shake off yet another one of the girls who threw themselves at him. The boys have agreed to stay out of trouble tonight, dedicating the night to help their heartbroken member forget his sorrows. But he could barely reach the washroom before the third female wearing slightly too revealing clothes clung onto him. 

'Do you perhaps have coke here?' He heard a voice not too far down the bar counter, and caught the slight look of curiosity on the bartender's face. 

'Yes.' 

'Can I have a cup then?' Jaebum did not know why but a smile was making its way onto his face as he watched the girl in petite stature in a plain shirt, jeans, and white sneakers. 

_I don't think I've seen her around  before..._

 

 

_What's with getting just coke here? He looked at me as if I was an alien._ You thought, not knowing that the problem did not lie in the question you asked, but instead was how you asked it was asked. 

_But then of course. I shouldn't even be here. Eunjin already got herself a guy. And nobody's furniture or criminal records are at stake._

_Just this cup and I'll head back. Who says someone can't just come here to have  a cup of coke?_

That was when Eunjin's voice echoed in your head, as you eyed the people moving passed you.  _'Whatever you do, just stay ahead from Im Jaebum and friends!'_

_Pfft. At the very least, don't I have to know how they look like to be able to avoid them? It's not as if people wear name tags when they go clubbing. Or if there's a floating bubble above their heads saying that they're_ Im Jaebum and friends _. Heck, Eunjin didn't even say how many there was. The entire club could be filled with his friends for all I know._

 

 

You could not describe the relief you felt when you saw the exit in your line of sight, before someone towered over you, blocking out that very door from your vision. 

'Hey!'

From his cheerful tone, you were certain it was someone you knew, and lifted you head. But no matter how hard you scrummage through your mind, nothing came to you. 'Do I know you?'

'I'm pretty sure it's not too late to get to each other now right?' And only when he gestured his cup of alcohol towards you, did you realize where this was headed. 

'I'm sorry, I have to leave-' You immediately uttered, your hands instinctively tightening around the strap of your wristlet for any sense of security it could provide you with. 

'But you just came not too long ago. Why leave so soon without having any fun?' Not realizing it, you were slowly backed into the wall as he leaned into you, and the strong scent of alcohol from him could not be missed. 

'G-Go away. I'm not here to-' You stammered, eyes darting to the ground as you turned away from him.  _I knew I should never had given in to that stupid Eunjin._

'Why? You don't look like you have someone with you. Why don't we-'

'So you're here? I've been looking all over the place for you.' Seconds ago, you were scared for your life when the gap between you and the stranger closed at an alarming rate, but you were instantly pulled away by the waist and soon found yourself stuck to someone's chest, and looked up at the new stranger who was glaring straight at Stranger A. 

'Im Jaebum?' Stranger A addressed Stranger B-

_Im Jaebum?_ Your eyes widened even more when you turned to look at the new stranger.  _Im. Jae. Bum?_

'Were you harassing my girl?'

For a moment, you could tell that A was not falling for it. Until you felt a light peck on your cheek, and the grip around your waist tightening. 'I'm sorry for just now hmm? I told you there was nothing between me and that girl.' And not to forget his face still lingering next to yours. 

Without another second of hesitation, A immediately retreated with a mumbled 'Sorry.' 

But you had no time to be relieved, seeing the close proximity with someone on Eunjin's wanted list. And if Eunjin said that he is a no go.  _He is a no go._ No matter how swooning he looks. 

Seeing that A was no longer in sight, you quickly shimmied out of his hold and bowed slightly to  _the Im Jaebum_ , instantly making your escape after saying a soft 'thank you'. 

'Wait-' You heard him calling, but no, you were not going to spare that place another second, and you definitely did not want to risk getting your life ruined by Im Jaebum, nor were you interested in finding out who his friends were or how they looked like. 

 

 

 

'The eel one is nice.'  _What are you doing today, Park Yoonjung? Going to a night club for the very first time in your life and now you're striking up a conversation with yet another random stranger? Well done, well done._

The tall male next to you has been sighing for the third time within the first minute since you have reached. And you were pretty sure he was already sighing for a good duration before that. Noticing that he has been staring at the triangle gimbab section, you assumed that he has trouble deciding on which flavor to get. Maybe it was too late for too much carbs, either that or he was tight on budget. But both ways were a reasonable dilemma so you decided to offer your opinion, which no one asked for. 

Jinyoung immediately snapped his head to the sound source, only then realizing her presence. 

'You can get the other flavors another day if you can't decide on any now.' And this strange girl smiled at him before grabbing an eel flavored triangle gimbab for herself. 

 

 

 

'We dragged you here to chill but how long have you been out here for?' Jinyoung stopped chomping on his triangle gimbab for a brief second to look at Jaebum who self-invited himself to the the former's me-time at the convenience store. 

'Hungry.'

The one-word reply made Jaebum sigh as he shook his head at the younger one. 'That's why you should drink a little, have fun, forget about it at least for tonight.'

'Hyung, I saw her inside just now.'

And all that filled the silence was more of Jinyoung's chewing as Jaebum tried searching for the correct words. 'I-I'm sorry- I didn't know-'

'It's okay, what about you? You looked happy when you came in just now.' 

'Nothing much, just found something interesting.'


	2. TWO

 

  
 **Sigh.  
  
Sigh.  
  
  
  
  
Sigh.**  
  
The sudden slam of a pen onto the table behind you startled you slightly just when the sighing was starting to get on your nerves. 'Can he keep quiet?' A voice muttered in annoyance, and you did not dare to turn around to see her expression. 'He's been at it for 15 minutes already!'  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
 **Sigh.**  
  
 _Seems like he didn't hear her._  
  
Not wanting anyone else to explode in frustration, you slowly turned your head to confront the sighing male, only to come face to face with someone familiar.  
  
 _Oh. It's triangle gimbab!_  
  
  
  
  
Just before another sigh was about to erupt from between his lips, the yellow post-it note on his left arm stopped him.  
  
 **Is it possible for you to sigh softer? The people behind looks angry :)**  
  
And he immediately turned to look at the person to his left who stuck it there.  
  
'I'm sorry.' / 'I'm sorry.' The both of you said at the same time, and that was when Jinyoung took a double take and realized who you were - _the eel gimbab from previously._  
  
Hoping to avoid any more awkwardness between the both of you, you quickly returned your attention to the professor at the front of the room, still feeling his gaze on you.  
  
 _What is she apologizing for?_  
  
  
  
  
  
  
'Wait.' Right as you stood up from your seat, Jinyoung grabbed onto your wrist lightly, stopping you in your tracks.  
  
No matter how hard he thought, he couldn't figure out what you were apologizing for. And he needed to know. Especially when he was at fault regardless of how he viewed the situation.  
  
'Why did you apologize?'  
  
'You probably were sighing because something bad happened. But I asked you to quieten down. That's keeping your feelings constrained and that's unhealthy. But it was indeed getting slightly distracting, and the people behind looks like they were going to kill you.'  
  
You realized that you were babbling too much when you found Jinyoung staring at you silently, trying to comprehend what you just said.  
  
'Sorry, I was rambling. I have a lesson now though, see you tomorrow!' Hoping not to further embarrass yourself, you quickly made your exit.  
  
 _Park Yoonjung. What's wrong with you lately? You're talking too much to people that you don't even know!_  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Grabbing his cup of coffee, Jaebum turned away from the counter, only to find that his happiness was short-lived. There weren't any empty seats available, and he grumbled as he looked at those who had nothing but a drip of liquid left in their cups yet refusing to leave the place. _Do I have to hunt for a new secluded cafe again?_  
  
Just when he was about to leave, his eyes landed on this table that a particular someone was at.  
  
He wouldn't have bothered usually. But he didn't know why he did it either. He didn't even notice that he was acting out of sorts.  
  
The sides of his lips tilted upwards when he recognized the sleeping figure atop a stack of papers. The person's face was covered by the hood of her grey jacket, but something just struck him when he spotted the same pair of white sneakers. _It’s her, right?_  
  
Being as quiet and discreet as possible, Jaebum slowly settled himself in the seat opposite you. A loud screech was made when he moved the chair, and he immediately froze, but you didn't even flinch.  
  
 _If it's not her, I'll just figure out what to do then._  
  
With his forefinger, Jaebum lifted the hood slightly to indeed reveal the face from the night a week ago. And a grin instantly made its way onto his face. He didn't even notice the slight flutter he felt in his stomach the moment he saw you.  
  
 _Fancy meeting you here._  
  
Having found somewhere to settle down comfortably, Jaebum sipped on his coffee as he stared at the mess you've made on the table, notes everywhere, a pen having fallen onto the ground. You were the prime example of someone hogging the table shamelessly, but that didn't register into his mind at that point of time.  
  
Giving in to his curiosity, he angled his head slightly to get a clearer view of your name and details. It didn't take much effort actually.   
  
 _Park Yoonjung. Cute name for a cute girl._  
  
 _She goes to the same university as Jinyoung?_  
  
 _And she's majoring in Math? MATH? She's weird alright._  
  
He looked at your cup of ~~melting~~ melted frappuccino and shook his head in displeasure, grabbing a post-it note and a pen in the meantime. _I'll forgive you since you're cute._  
  
See you soon, Park Yoonjung.  
  
  
  
  
  


* * *

  
  
  
  
 _Oh. It's triangle gimbab again. Now that's two modules with him._ 'Why are you sitting so far into the corner?'  
  
 _It's her._ Jinyoung couldn't explain the wave of relief when he saw a familiar face - _your_ face in particular, and quickly shrugged it off. 'Just in case someone gets annoyed at my sighing.'  
  
But you sat down next to him nonetheless, and got a look of confusion from the male. 'I think I'll be sighing today too.'  
  
He was about to ask you what happened, but he quickly snapped his mouth shut. He barely knew you. What if it was something sensitive? He'll end up putting you in an uncomfortable spot just because of that one question.  
  
'Park Jinyoung.'  
  
'Hmm?' You looked up from your notes when you realized that the sound came from the person next to you.  

'My name's Park Jinyoung.'  
  
'I'm Yoonjung. Park Yoonjung.' You returned his smile with another one, taking his hand in yours as you shook it lightly.   
  
'The tuna one is nicer by the way.'  
  
And a frown immediately replaced the smile on your face as you retracted your hand instantly, snapping your head back to the front. 'Fine.'  
  
  
  
  


* * *

  
  
  
  
  
Somehow, it seemed to be an unspoken agreement that the both of you would sit together during your two common modules. However, chatting was kept to a minimum. That is, only until the second Geography lesson.  
  
Right before lesson commenced, an eel flavored triangle gimbab was stealthily pushed towards you from the male seated next to you. 'It's a bribery. I might need your help to survive this module.'  
  
And during the following Literature lesson on the very same day, Jinyoung received a tuna flavored one in return. 'Same here. The bribery.'  
  
  
  
  
  


  
'Do you still have any lessons?' Wanting to put a stop to this ambiguous relationship between the both of you that seemed to have started and developed thanks to two small triangle gimbabs -  _three, if you were to consider the very first one_ , Jinyoung asked right when you started packing up.  
  
Shaking your head slightly after glancing at your notebook, you turned to him, 'I'm done for the day.'   
  
'Want to grab some food?'  
  
And, unsurprisingly, the both of you ended up at a nearby convenience shop with you eating what you got for each other earlier that day.  
  
'You don't like literature?' Jinyoung asked, noticing that you meant it when you mentioned that you would be sighing during your literature lessons.   
  
'I messed up the balloting, managed to get my preferences except for this.' You frowned once he reminded you of your stupidity, _must have been karma for questioning the balloting system._ You could still vaguely remember being extremely confident that nothing could go wrong. But of course, it did.   
  
'Same goes to me for geography.' The last thing that you were expecting was probably that answer, and there was a silent pause, before the both of you chuckled slightly.   
  
'It'll be fine. Since we already bribed each other.'  
  
'Misery loves company.' Jinyoung added, already glad that his geography lessons took a turn for the better. Anyone could see that the both of you were in the same boat.  
  
You nodded, before asking him, realizing that you probably knew close to nothing about each other, except for your names. 'What do you major in?'  
  
'Performance.' Jinyoung had to try so hard to keep his laughter in when he saw your look of ~~shock~~ surprise. People who heard that from him never showed such a huge response, though he knew that they were probably trying hard to keep themselves in control. 'How am I suppose to react to your reaction?'  
  
You quickly snapped your hanging jaw shut, composing yourself. 'Sorry, it's just that. I'll probably get kicked out on the very first day if I took that. I can't do music and all that.'  
  
'Okay then. What about you?'  
  
'Math.'  
  
And Jinyoung gave the exact same response that you gave him just seconds ago, and it wasn't on purpose. 'Math?'  
  
You nodded again. _So this is how he felt when I looked at him like that._  
  
' _Mathematical Studies_?'  
  
You furrowed your eyebrows at him. 'Yes. Mathematical studies.'  
  
'You're amazing.'  
  
'Same goes to you.'  
  
And just like that, the both of you burst into laughter again.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
'Yes?' You took a quick glance at your phone as Jinyoung answered his phone.  
  
'Hyung, you're outside my school?'  
  
'Okay okay.' He quickly hung up, turning to you. 'I'll have to go first. See you tomorrow?'  
  
'See you!'  
  
  
  
  
  
'What are you doing here?' Jinyoung asked as he skidded to a halt next to the elder male, at the same time looking at Jaebum who was indiscreetly eyeing the school compounds.  
  
'Just wanted to see if you're coping well...'  
  
'How did you even know when I end-' But nothing went into his ears. Especially once he caught sight of a girl walking towards a lamppost as she had her eyes stuck onto the phone in her hands.  
  
 _Hah. Found her._  
  
'Hey Jinyoung-ah, something just cropped up. Call you later!'  
  
'Okay-?' Jinyoung answered to thin air as he watched Jaebum disappearing without even glancing at him. That's when he realized that Jaebum did not even look at him for a mere second before taking off.   
  


 


	3. THREE

  
  
'You should really watch where you're going.'  
  
'Oh- I'm really sorry.' You were startled when your path got blocked, quickly bowing your head lower as you apologised before turning away.  
  
 _That's it?_ Jaebum thought as he watched the person before him walking further away, without even giving him a glance. _How?_  
  
  
  
  
  
'Park Yoonjung!'  
  
You snapped your head around swiftly, giving a quick glance around your surroundings but did not recognise anyone. Moreover, it was a male voice which didn't sound like Jinyoung's.  
  
 _Maybe it's some other Park Yoonjung._  
  
With that, you shrugged slightly before popping your earpiece back into your ears.  
  
  
  
  
  
 _Did she really just-? Did she not see me at all?_  
  
'Park Yoonjung.' Only when your path was blocked once again, with the boulder refusing to move away, did you stop in your tracks.   
  
'Yes?'  
  
'Do you not remember me?'  
  
You frowned slightly at this eccentric person before you, _I'm pretty sure I'll remember if I've ever seen such a good looki-_  
  
 _Shit._  
  
A smirk immediately made its way onto Jaebum's face when he saw your eyes widening, but what he did not expect was for you to turn on your heels that very second. And to add, it's the second time within minutes.  
  
'Hey! Park Yoonjung!'  
  
 _How did he know my name even? ... Shit. He knows my name._  
  
You quickened your steps as you focused on not walking into anything else that could result in you being caught by the male behind.  
  
 _Why is he following me? Do I owe him something? I said thank you the other day, didn't I?_  
  
And right when you were about to break into a run, you felt your bag being held back by a sudden unknown force. And soon, Eunjin's voice started replaying the same line over and over again in your mind.  
  
 _Just what have I gotten myself into?_  
  
'Did I offend you in any way?' Jaebum asked, purely out of curiosity, as you slowly turned back to face him, but still avoiding eye contact. Never had he seen someone so bent on avoiding him before. He knew he was good looking, but never did he think that he perhaps might appear to resemble a serial killer of some sorts - why else would you be so determined to escape from him?  
  
'No you didn't.' _Okay, let's just see what he wants. If it's reasonable, comply, otherwise, run._  
  
'Then do I look like someone who's on the wanted list?'  
  
'Not that I know of.' _But you're on Eunjin's blacklist._  
  
'Then did I do anything to harm you?'  
  
'No.'  
  
'There.' He said firmly, as though he has just proven a point. But little did he know that you weren't going to give into him anytime soon. 'So why are you avoiding me?'  
  
'Just because.'  
  
'I saved you from that drunkard the other day and this treatment is all I get?' A little whine escaped from him and your eyes immediately darted to his face unconsciously. _Hah- Let's see how long she'll be able to keep this up._  
  
'I- Thank you for helping me.'  
  
'If you really want to thank me, let's talk over coffee.' And in the very next moment, you found your hand in his as he dragged you further away from the school compounds.  
  
 _He doesn't look like he'll do anything funny right? Moreover there'll be people at the cafe. I can just scream for help if anything happens._  
  
With him being in front of you as he pulled you along, you could not help but to stare at the countless piercings he had on his ears. _And I don't even wear ear studs._  
  
You vaguely remembered there was once, back in high school, when your homeroom tutor was re-emphasising the criteria for the attire spot check the next day.  
  
And out of nowhere, your tablemate exclaimed really loudly: 'Oh, Yoonjung you don't have anything at all!'  
  
It was true, you always had a smooth pass during spot checks. No outlandish hairstyles, no make-up, no long fingernails, no altered skirts, no earstuds beyond the stated measurements, no neon laces. To put it simply, you were a model-student back in school.   
  
You always thought that it was a good thing, until you caught onto what your teacher commented in return to your tablemate's exclamation. _'It's not necessarily a good thing to have absolutely nothing.'_ Though you never knew what she meant.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
The second you sat down with your cup of coffee, you were determined to finish it within record time and escape right after. Without sparing a look at the person seated directly opposite you.  
  
And Jaebum could see through your plans immediately, when he saw the amount of liquid in your cup diminishing at a fast rate. Not even sparing time for the ice to even melt. 'They say third time's a charm.'  
  
Not getting the underlying message, you unconsciously answered him. 'Didn't we only meet once?'  
  
'I saw you the other day. I picked up your pen.'  
  
And that effectively put a hold to your speed-drinking of the freezing ice-blended drink. 'Huh?'  
  
 _This girl is too naive._ 'At the Starbucks near my place.'  
  
'How would I know where your place is?' You answered, seemingly unaffected by his prying, when you were already mentally having a breakdown. There was only one Starbucks outlet that you frequent. _And if its near his place? Oh no..._  
  
'You were wearing your sneakers.'  
  
A sense of relief engulfed you when you thought that it was his only evidence that lead him to his conclusion. _Everyone wears sneakers._ 'I wear that everywhere I go.'  
  
'And a white shirt with jeans.'  
  
'People wear that every-' _This guy is just throwing random things-_  
  
'And a grey DKNY hoodie.'  
  
 _Shit._  Jaebum was starting to lose count of the number of times he tried to suppress the smirk that was making its way onto his face as he watched how your expressions kept changing as your hand fiddled with the straw of your drink.   
  
'So you left the post it?'  
  
'It'll be more comfortable to sleep at home, don't you think?'  
  
You could not stop the look of horror that appeared on your face when he recited exactly what was written on the post-it that you received, that is supposedly by him.  
  
And to think that your heart fluttered when you found it the other day, wondering if it was someone you knew, if it was perhaps a good-looking guy that hopefully wanted to ask you out.  
  
Then again, Jaebum fulfilled all three points.  
  
You quickly shook your head at the thought of it. _You don't know him! And he's not going to ask you out! He's just a good-looking guy. And that's that!_  
  
 _AND Eunjin said no Im Jaebum. She wouldn’t have said that for no reason. She knows best._  
  
Jaebum watched your internal battle silently as he bit back a smile. _See, she's already falling for it. They just can't resist me, can they?_  
  
'I refilled your drink, picked up your pen, stop your papers from flying around, and this is all I get?' He added, as a slight push, seeing that you still refused to acknowledge him.  
  
 _I knew it! I knew the drink wasn't mine!_ 'How do I know if it's really you!'  
  
'You still have the post-it don't you? My number is on it.'  
  
Your mind immediately envisioned the piece of post-it that was still lying in your pencil case. 'I d-don't have it anymore!'  
  
'You're lying.' He chuckled seeing how your speech increased by one tone, and your eyes were darting around at an even faster pace. 'It's so obvious.'  
  
'No it's not?'  
  
'Park Yoonjung, go out with me.'  
  
And the hand that was fiddling with your straw immediately stilled. 'I t-thought we're settling it through coffee?'  
  
'I said that we'll discuss it over coffee. I didn't say that it will be settled through coffee.'  
  
 _Okay. Now's probably the time to run._ You anxiously looked around for a source of escape, and right then, your phone lit up on the table.  
  
And Jaebum saw how your face brightened instantly, even more so than your phone.  
  
'Hello? Oppa?' Your hand was already reaching for your bag as you did a last check that you weren't going to leave anything behind accidentally. 'Oh no! Sure! I'll be there asap!'  
  
 _Her 'Oh no' and 'Sure' sure sounds pitches apart._  
  
'I'm really sorry, I'll have to go now. Bye!'  
  
And with that, Jaebum was left alone with his barely touched coffee.  
  
This was the very first time a girl was so bent on shaking him off, and he couldn't be anymore amazed.  
  
  
  


  
'What was that?' Jinyoung asked, confused with the situation when he was certain that he got the correct number.   
  
'Sorry, I was trying to escape from someone.'  
  
'Are you okay?' He asked again, worriedly this time. But then again, you sounded too cheerful to him to be threatened.   
  
'Yeap, thanks to you. So what did you want to talk about?'  
  
But there was silence on the other end.  
  
'Jinyoung?'  
  
He contemplated for a moment whether or not to ask. 'What was the 'oppa' just now?'  
  
'OH, I'm really sorry- It just came out- I wasn't really thinking much I just wanted to-'  
  
'It's okay. It's fine. Just call me that, it's alright.'  
  
'But-'  
  
'Anyway, I just wanted to ask how did your tutorial balloting go?'  
  
'I'll check and text you later?'  
  
'Sure.'

 

 


	4. FOUR

This was starting to egg him on - the more determined you were to avoid him, the more he wanted to prove you wrong - that he will succeed it making you his.

_‘Oppa?’_

The way you answered the phone remained vivid in his mind. _Who the heck is that oppa anyway-_ And for a split second he wondered if you were already attached - _No, it can’t be. She’s just trying to shake me off, for all I know it could have been a female on the other end. Exactly. Must have just been a female._

_Great- I still don’t have her number. Now I have to catch her in school again._

 

* * *

 

'Found you!' You jerked slightly upon the whisper into your right ear and turned to face someone who was supposed to be five blocks away.

 _What are you-_ You stared at him in shock, only to have him messing up your hair to cover your what-could-have-been-a-bust expression.

'Oh-' Jinyoung took notice of the male with you and smiled, extending his hand, 'Hi! I'm Park Jinyoung. You must be-' You knew that he knew who the dude was. Especially after he googled everything about said male. _What on earth is he doing right now?_

'Jaehwan. Lee Jaehwan.'

'Right! The one from Jungie's Math class?'

 _Jungie? JungIE?_ You brushed your hair out of your face as you tried to keep your expressions in check.

'Y-Yes. And you're from-?'

'Oh, she didn't tell you did she? I'm her boyfriend.' _And there it was-_ The ruffling of your hair again.

'Oh- I didn't know that she-you're-' Jaehwan's look of confusion immediately turned into a frown, and you caught the very brief second of it before he covered it up with a smile.

But your attention was instantly diverted away when you felt something soft against your palm and found your hand in Jinyoung's. 'Would love to get to know you some day, but we have some plans for now. See you around!'

With that, you were quickly shipped away while you turned to give a small wave to your friend. 'I'll text you later!'

 

Once you were out of sight and out of hearing distance, Jinyoung released your hand before asking, 'Why would you text him later.'

'Well maybe because we were supposed to discuss our project before you interrupted us.'

'What about _our_ project?' 

'Which one are you referring to?' You were genuinely confused, as to whether he was referring to the literature task the both of you were paired up to do, or the little act that he staged mere seconds ago. 

'You nearly gave us away just now, and to think that you're the one who needed the help.' 

'Why me- Hey- What was that even?' 

'I just thought maybe we should take it up a notch after our little act at the canteen the other day.'

'And by switching up a notch you just totally drop the bomb and go 'I'm her boyfriend.' And you could have at least gave me a heads up?'

'And have you acting weirdly?'

'Pretty sure that was weirder than what I did the other day. I couldn’t even speak a peep.’ You thought back to the conversation just now and shuddered. _Oh gosh, it was so suspicious._ You gave a quick glance at Jinyoung, but he looked indifferent as he simply gave you a shrug. 

‘Shh. We’re going to be late for class.’

'You wouldn't be late for class if you didn't take a detour over here on purpose. And perhaps we could have had a seat secured.'

'I didn't take a detour here. I had some paperwork to do here.'

'At the _M_ _athematics_ building?' You asked, skeptically. 

'As surprising as it sounds, yes, at the _M_ _athematics_ building.' Jinyoung repeated before having your hand in his again as he pulled you into the lecture theatre. He was not supposed to be late for this lesson by his usual timetable compared to you who had backtoback lessons. 'Now hush, we need to figure out what's going on.' 

 

* * *

 

**A few days ago-**

‘How may I help you?’ Jinyoung finally asked after getting tired of you staring at him for the past few minutes, and he was starting to feel uncomfortable chewing his food.

‘It’s nothing.’ With that, you finally dug into your food with a shake of your head. Which got him placing his utensils down as it was his turn to ~~stare~~ glare at you.

‘What is it? Did you get into trouble?’

‘Perhaps...’

‘What do you mean, perhaps?’

‘There’s this guy who’s interested in me-‘

And a smirk appeared on his face. ‘Well, aren’t you too high of yourself. He confessed?'

‘No- Not yet, but he's been trying to ask me out. But he’s just too nice- And I can’t get myself to say no.’

'Have you not been asked out before?'

You were about to answer with a straight 'No', until you remembered. 'Y-Yes I have.'

'Then how did that end up?'

'I disappeared and never went back to the cafe ever since.' Jinyoung had to stop himself from chuckling as he looked at you in amusement. 

'And this guy in the story is-?'

'A regular at the cafe, apparently.’

‘So, if you're sharing this with me, and you can't disappear, or reject him, are you asking me to be your pretend boyfriend?’

‘Noooo? I’m just asking you to _appear_ close-‘

‘Wouldn’t he want to grab his chance and quickly confess then? How would you continue from there?'

 _That's true..._ You remained silent as you allowed the thought to sink into your head. ‘Help.’

 

 

‘Are you sure this will work?’ You asked, your lunch long forgotten as the both of you finally decided on a game plan to help your useless self. 

‘Of course, everything I think of is a brilliant idea.’

You were about to wipe the smirk off his face when someone by the entrance of the canteen caught your eyes. 'What- Is he doing here?'

'Jaehwan's here?'

'You make it sound like you've known him for ages-' You stopped midsentence when you suddenly found Jinyoung's face right before yours as his hand moved to tug a stray hair behind your ear, in slow motion. 'J-Jin-'

‘Shh- He’s looking over.’

‘W-What- Where-‘ You flinched, only to be have your elbow held down by his free hand, before he pulled you closer by the side. 

‘Stop moving- Girl I thought you wanted me to help you with this-‘

‘Right-‘ You quickly managed to calm yourself down, and smiled unconsciously when you thought of how silly you were being-

And the male before you felt his heart skip a beat.

_Damn it. This girl._

But the worse has yet to come. 

It was Jinyoung's turn to be startled when your hand reached out to pat his bangs with a slight giggle. ‘What was that for?’

‘You can’t be the only one acting right? I caused the problem didn't I.'

_That’s it-?_

‘And you look really cute with that hair today I just wanted to-‘

Heart. ‘Do you say that to every single guy?’

‘No, why would I? You’re the first.’ You answered mindlessly, pulling away thinking that it was enough for the day. 

_Great. Just great._

 

* * *

 

'Park Jinyoung!' Jaebum yelled for the umpteenth time across the room. 

'Hyung, I was showering.' He grumbled as he threw his towel at the older male before grabbing his phone on the couch. 

'Your phone was buzzing relentlessly next to me.'

_Oh- It's her-_

‘And why are you messaging a gimbab?’

‘It's just a friend at school.’ Jinyoung answered, not sparing Jaebum a glance as he read through your messages. 

‘Is she cute?’

‘I’m pretty sure I didn’t disclose the gender.’

‘Sounds like she’s super cute.’

And that successfully got Jinyoung's attention when he finally looked up at the person who was smirking at him. ‘How did you get that from the contact name?’

‘I got it from your red ears.’

Which silenced Jinyoung immediately. _Is it that obvious? Don't tell me I've been acting this way around her too._

'Hey, you alright?'

 _I don't know. She's been taking my mind off her._   _But what is she doing to me?_

Jaebum was starting to get worried when Jinyoung did not reply him, his eyebrows furrowed. 'Are you serious about this girl? Or is she just a way to get over her?'

'She's just a friend.'

'And do you want it to stay that way?'

'Yes, it'll stay that way.' 

Yet, Jinyoung knew that he didn't have any paperwork to do at the _Mathematics_ building. 


	5. FIVE

Jaebum was once again racking his brains for plans to get to you. He had zero connections to you, and that one time where he waited outside the university compounds thanks to Jinyoung's timetable was pure coincidence, or so he thought.

He even tried camping at the cafe for a few days, but to no avail.

 _There should be a way-_ Jaebum sighed as he went back to scrolling through his social media feeds for inspiration.

What he did not expect was for your face to pop up in a selfie with Yugyeom in his instastory just seconds into his search. And he held onto the screen tightly as he stared at that picture for a good few minutes. _It **is** her._

Right after he identified the female, did the caption of the image sink into his head. **'My date for the next three days~'**

_What on earth-_

His fingers acted immediately and he was soon dialing for someone. 'Bam, where did Gyeom say he was going again?'

'Relative's wedding in Daejeon? Oh- The really grand one at Lotte City Hotel, whoa the images were-'

'Alright thanks!' _Yes- Now let's see how she's going to snake her way out of this._

 

 

 

‘Gyeommie!’ You squealed as you lunged at the taller male, giving him a quick hug before pulling away to get a good look at him. ‘I haven’t seen you in ages!’

‘Not the hair- Noona! Not the hair!’

‘I know- I know, calm down will you.’ You smiled as you lowered your hands from his head to pat his back.

‘I missed you!’

‘Pfft sure thing. I wonder who’s the one who’s too grown up for family gatherings now hmm?’

'Well- I'm here for the wedding, aren't I?'

'We both know that you're forced to come here, and that you came for the food.'

'No~ I came for you!' 

'Sure thing. You haven’t been fooling around have you?’ You asked as you lowered your voice, pulling him away as your parents checked into the hotel. 

‘Of course not! What do you think I- Please don’t tell mom- She thinks I’m in school.’

‘Yah! Kim Yugyeom!’

‘Just kidding~’ Yugyeom laughed at the expression on your face, before giving you a light pat on your shoulder and disappearing to take your luggage and room key. 

‘What- That’s it? Now I’m confused.’

 

 

 

'Okay, rules. No shoes beyond this line. No dirtying the room. No touching of my bed unless you've showered.' You pointed out once the both of you entered the shared room. It has been a habit since young for the both of you to room together whenever your parents went out, and seems like it did not change this time. 

'I'm not a kid anymore, noona.' He whined as he lugged the luggage in. 

'Well, you'll forever be a kid to me. And please look after your room key.' 

'Stop being such an old lady- Let's go out for a cousins' date!' And you were soon dragged out of the hotel room, 'I got food recommendations from a friend who stays in this area, waffles sounds good?'

'Not unless you're paying for the food?'

‘Why do you sound like you do not want to spend time with your one and only younger cousin?’

‘With this I shall bring back my point of you being the one skipping all the family-‘

‘Fine.’ You mumbled, but the silence did not stay for long. 

‘Noona, are you not going to find a boyfriend?’

‘I'll get one when someone suitable comes along.’

‘I’ve heard that for the past dozens of years.’

'I think that you need to go return to elementary math.'

'Shhh- No math. No schoolwork. SHH.'

 

 

‘Gyeom-ah,' You asked, grabbing the mango smoothie from his side of the table. 'How do you know if someone is serious about you?’

And the way his eyes sparkled as he finally paused his eating made you question if it was the right thing to ask. 

'Finally! Who's the lucky guy?'

'That's not answering my question.'

'Well, you could have gave a brief description? Is he kind? Polite? Helpful?'

 _Nope, nope and nope._ 'I wouldn't describe him with those words.'

'Intelligent? Caring?'

 _Nope and nope._ 'How would I know if he's serious about me, if he's intelligent?'

'I don't know- I just threw it in there since I thought I was supposed to describe your crush kind-of guy. Right. Back to the topic. So how is he?'

'Clingy.'

Yugyeom looked at you as he resumed his chomping of the waffle, frowning slightly at the rate which the ice cream was melting at. But you made no signs of continuing. 'That's it?'

'Extremely clingy.'

**SIGH.**

'Okay-Okay. He, urm, he asked me out on the basis that I owed him a favour. He bought two cups of coffee for me.'

'He likes you?'

'He didn't say that he likes me- He just asked me out.' 

'Nope. That guy's a no go.'

'Right! I knew it! Thanks Gyeom.' 

 

* * *

 

'Fancy meeting you here in Daejeon?' It took you quite a while to realise that you were not seeing things, and it was indeed he himself before you. Then the panic kicked in. 

And to think that you were starting to feel relieved after the lack of his presence for the past few weeks. You were about to question Eunjin about her warning- what exactly about Im Jaebum was dangerous- but forgot about it after seeing that he did not appear ever since you disappeared from the cafe.

But him appearing in Daejeon- right outside the salon where you did your hair- was danger enough to you.

'How did you-'

'Surprise surprise.' You eyed the small bouquet of roses that he stuck out at you, and then looked back at him. 

'Jaebum- Today's not the right time to do this- I have a wedding lunch to attend.'

'I know. And I'm not doing anything am I? And please take the flowers, my arm is starting to ache.' 

 _But- If I take it-_ You sighed when he grabbed your hand and stuff the bouquet into it. 

'Perfect.' Jaebum managed to dug from Jackson's prying that you were Yugyeom's cousin, and that you would be in Daejeon for three days, with the wedding on the second day. Which gave him plenty of time to take the quickest bus here and to pull enough strings to get him a room at the lowest cost possible. 'I'm not doing anything, am I?'

'What are you doing here?'

'Making you prettier. I got the flowers fresh from a florist near here.'

'Jaebum-'

'Why exactly are you avoiding me?' You flinched when he grabbed onto your wrist, and you could feel it tightening whenever you were about to take a step back. And you were trying hard not to freak out. 

'I don't know you.' 

'Then why don't you spare me a chance to get to know me?'

'You're behaving like the man you fended off for me at the club that night.' And that manage to return some sense back to Jaebum, before he quickly released you.

'I'm sorry.'

'I'm sorry too. But I've got to go-' At that moment, your ringtone interrupted you. 

     'Noona, I'm not done with my hair yet, can you come back to the hotel by yourself?'

     'What?'

     'Take a cab or something- I've got to go! See you in a bit!'

     'Yah! Kim Yugyeom!' But all you could hear was the beeping sound from the other end. 'How am I supposed to- This.' You grumbled as you quickly made your way out onto the main road to try your luck on hailing a cab, only to be held back by Jaebum by your wrist, this time much gentler than before. 

'I can send you back.' 

'You drove here?' 

You followed Jaebum's line of sight to see a motorcycle parked just a few metres before you. 

'No.'

'It'll be faster. I don't think you'll get a single cab, and still reach in time.'

'I can't ride that-'

'It's the only way to get- Are you okay?' Jaebum paused when he saw how you struggled out of his grip, all the while not removing your eyes from the vehicle. 'Park Yoonjung?' 

'T-The helmet is going to ruin my hair.'

'Yoonjung-'

'I don't even know you- No way am I going to let you-'

'It's fine, I rode here unscathed-'

'No- I'll just get a-'

'Did you get into an accident before?' And you finally diverted your attention back to Jaebum. Your eyes still shifting. And the silence proved that he was right. 'It'll be fine. I wouldn't let anything happen to you.'

All you could do was to stand frozen on the spot, before your phone pulled you back into reality. 

     'Jung-ah, are you reaching soon? We're starting soon.'

     'I-I'm on my way mom. See you.'

'Trust me?' Jaebum asked again, this time gently tugging you in the direction of the rented bike. 

'Are you sure nothing will happen?' You whispered grabbing onto his elbow gingerly as he adjusted the helmet to do as little damage as possible to your hair. 

'I'm more than sure. Now let's get this princess to the wedding.'

 

The short ten minutes trip back to the hotel had you grabbing onto Jaebum for your life. You could tell that he was not driving at full speed, for the sake of you, and was more than thankful for it. 

'And we're here, on time, and unharmed.' His signature grin was plastered across his face as he gently, carefully removed the helmet off you. 'You did it, see?' You were startled when he pinched your cheeks lightly, before he reached out to tidy up your hair.

He took a good few minutes before he was done, and patted your shoulders before urging you into the hotel. 'There there. Stop staring. You're going to be late.' 

Without a word, you hurriedly headed in, not sparing a look back at him, only to hear him shouting after you. 'See you later!' 

You quickly dodged into the nearest toilet to check on your outfit before joining the rest, only to have yourself speechless once again as you looked at the white rose perched neatly by the side of your neatly braided hair. Jaebum not only managed to keep you presentable, he took extra care to not ruin anything, and- you were certain the rose was not there when you left the salon.

_This can't be happening._

 

 

 

 

Throughout the entire course of the lunch, you could not help but to keep thinking back to what happened between the both of you. _Why am I being so jittery? Must be the ride- I can't take motorcycle rides. That must be it. Don't think too much about it. Please, Park Yoonjung._

That was when you remembered how he shouted _'See you later!'_ after dropping you off. _No- I'm not prepared to face him again today-_ The rose sitting on your hair popping back into your mind.  _I'll just hide in my room right after this. That way we can't see each other. Yes. Exactly._

The moment the lunch ended, as rude as it may have been, you quickly slipped out of the ballroom, only to be bombarded by a crowd at the reception counter.  _Now where's the way back up to the rooms again-_  You wondered as you looked around- but stilled when you spied a mullet and quickly turned on your heels.

Only to have yourself stumble slightly before someone held you gently by your arm. 'Are you okay?'

'Yes, thank you-' You lifted your head after stabilising yourself, only to come face to face with- ‘Jinyoung?’

‘What are you doing here?’/ 'You look gorgeous.' The both of you said at the same time.

'What-?'

'Sorry- It just slipped out. Your wedding is here?- I mean- not your wedding but- The relative's wedding you had to attend is here?'

Jinyoung stumbling over his words was a first for you, and you could not help but to laugh at him- And that sent more blood rushing to his ears. Which unfortunately, to his utter horror, you took notice. 

'Are _you_  okay?' You reached out, still giggling, and pinched his red ears, which was easier with the boost given by your wedges.

_No-No I am not._

 

 

‘There she is-‘ A smile made its way onto his face when Jaebum finally caught sight of you. And he was just about to take a step forward until the person you were with came into view. _Jinyoung?_

 


End file.
